


I Will Love You Better Now

by kate7h



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Eremika - Freeform, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Prompt Challenge, Series of Oneshots, stuff like that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-30
Updated: 2016-04-24
Packaged: 2018-05-29 22:23:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6396247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kate7h/pseuds/kate7h
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of oneshots written to explore and better understand the relationship Eren and Mikasa have with each other. Requests welcome.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Just a Smile

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Having their hair washed by the other
> 
> Summary: Mikasa broke her arm in a minor accident, so Eren offers to help her wash her hair.
> 
> Setting: Canon (most if not all will be canonverse) post-war

_That stupid root_ , Mikasa thought bitterly. She was way more agile than this, her reflexes were superb. So why had she been knocked off her feet by one, stupid root? Moment of weakness, she supposed. It happened occasionally. Especially when Eren smiled so heartfelt and genuinely at her, laughing about something, and she hadn't heard him laugh in _years_. So maybe that was a good reason; maybe it was worth breaking her arm in the tumble down the rocky hill. But she still intended on cursing that root's existence for the duration of her recovery.

She cursed it all the more because she couldn't even wash her own hair. She couldn't lift her arm enough and _dammit_ , it was so frustrating. She'd managed alright to wash the rest of herself, but the reaching up proved difficult.

What she hadn't expected was Eren to volunteer to help her out, namely, sit over her with her head hanging above a bucket, a towel wrapped around her shoulders. Her face was flushed as she looked up at him from this odd angle as he dipped her hair into the water, swishing it around with his hands.

"You don't have to do this…" she murmured, trying to keep her voice level to hide the fact that she was as red as an apple.

"It's no problem," Eren said nonchalantly, running his fingers through her hair. "How's your arm?"

Mikasa looked away, definitely not pouting. "It's fine…"

Eren snorted. "Yeah, right. You were bleeding all over the place, I doubt it's 'fine' two days later."

Mikasa sent a glare at him, which he actually smiled at. That alone lightened Mikasa's mood, honestly.

It was nice now, to have the threat of the titans behind them. They could move on, travel the world without that oppressive fear over them. It was better than nice. It was nigh bliss compared to the hell it had been. And Mikasa found herself feeling joyful, especially when Eren smiled so unprompted. When he went out of his way to help her, or just show her that he cared. Small things, mostly, but she couldn't help but think of all things she wanted to say to him. Or how she really wanted to kiss him every time he smiled like that.

So having him so close to her face like this, running his hands through her hair, it was making her restraint a bit more difficult.

Eren leaned down to the side, picking up a jar of lotion? Soap?

"What's that?" Mikasa asked, gesturing to it.

He sent her a questioning look. "Shampoo? It's for hair, right?"

Mikasa shrugged, wondering how he got his hands on something so expensive and extravagant. "I suppose. I usually just use soap."

"Oh," Eren replied, frowning at the jar. "I just grabbed it… I can go get soap, it you want."

"No, no, it's fine," Mikasa said, stopping him before he could leave. "I don't mind."

Eren nodded. "Okay then."

He lifted her head out of the cooling water, the rubbed the stuff into her hair. It bubbled up a lot more than soap did, so that was different.

"It smells nice," Eren said from above her, scrubbing his fingers into her roots, massaging it against her scalp.

"It does," Mikasa replied. The gentle fragrance of flowers reached her nose, and she was sure she would be able to smell it on her hair until the next time she washed.

It was quiet for a while as Eren washed her hair thoroughly. In fact, Mikasa found herself drifting, her eyes growing heavier. The water was still warm, and Eren's hands in her hair was strangely relaxing. Overall, a very pleasant experience. She resisted the urge to yawn as she let her head settle back, leaning more into Eren's steady hands.

"Don't fall asleep on me," Eren said with a chuckle.

"Mmm," she mumbled. "I can't promise that."

He laughed again, then she felt some water flicked at her face. She cracked her eyes open in a playful glare, but she couldn't hold it for long. Not with his face being so openly happy and her heart felt like it was going to melt, the sight warming her so. She smiled up at him, breathing contentedly.

"What're you smiling about?" Eren asked with his own smile.

Mikasa shook her head a bit. "It's just… it's nice to hear you laugh, that's all."

Eren's hands stilled for a moment before he began scrubbing again. "The same goes for you."

She looked up, confusion on her face. Eren shrugged. "I'm just saying, I swear I've never seen you smile so much since lately. Not even when we were kids. It's very…"

"Humanizing?" Mikasa asked, a lame attempt at a joke.

Eren rolled his eyes. "I was going to say very nice change. I like your smile."

Mikasa felt her face flush all over again and she looked away. "T-thank you…" she stuttered out, damn her.

"...No problem…" he murmured, and she glanced up to see him looking away, his own face rosy. Her brows furrowed. What was _that_ response?

She swallowed. "I like your smile too. You've been smiling a lot more lately as well."

At that, he smirked, his face still reddened the same way hers was. "Okay okay, enough of this, geez," he muttered and Mikasa laughed.

"What? Too mushy for you?" Mikasa joked.

"Yeah, quit being dumb…" Eren said, flicking more water on her neck.

Mikasa scoffed. "You started that. It's your fault."

He blushed again. _Really?_ "I wasn't… I- just lemmie finish, okay!?"

"Okay." Mikasa settled back against his hands, trying to hide the smile on her face.

It didn't take him long to finish, but he did seem to be taking his time about it. Mikasa didn't mind, it was nice to feel him run his fingers through the long locks. He picked up a smaller bucket of clean, warm water, pouring it slowly on her hair, rinsing the suds away. Mikasa closed her eyes, doing her best to ingrain this into her memory. The feeling of his hands, the sight of his blushing face above her, the floral fragrance of the shampoo.

"Alright, done," Eren said after a few more minutes.

Mikasa sat up, one-handedly squeezing the water out from her hair with the towel that had been draped around her shoulders.

"Thank you, Eren," she said softly, which he shrugged at.

"No problem," he replied, drying his hands off on his pants. "Ah, your hair's gotten longer, hasn't it?"

Mikasa looked down at her hair in a bit of confusion. It had been longer for a while now, reaching past her shoulders. "Yeah, I let it grow since we don't have to use the gear very much anymore."

"Right… do you, uh… want my help combing it?" Eren asked.

Mikasa blushed again, looking down again. "I think I can manage, but thank you."

"Oh okay," Eren nodded. "I'll clean this up then."

Mikasa stood up, moving to get changed into a dry shirt. As she walked past him, she patted his shoulder. He reached up, lightly touching her hand as if he were going to hold her there. He didn't, and she kept walking, but her heart felt like it was soaring into the clouds above.


	2. Blackberries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren has a run in with some thorn bushes, then Mikasa treats herself to some berries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated: Gen
> 
> Prompt: Sharing a dessert
> 
> Setting: Canon; post-war (AU where most everyone lives)
> 
> A/N: SO I was gonna post a bit of an angsty one this week, but since chapter 80 came out and it was a pretty big blow to the feels (I'm so sorry, eruri shippers. It hurts, I feel it! ughhh) I decided to do a fluff instead. Hope you like!

The woods they were traveling through were damp, despite the heat of early autumn. The moisture hung heavy in the air, so it made the ride through the trees pretty stifling. 

"Uuggghhh!" Connie complained. "It's so damn hot!"

"I feel like I'm melting," Sasha returned. 

"We're not even in the sun! The shade's not helping at all."

They'd been going and going since that morning and thankfully it was nearly time for them to stop and rest for midday meal. Eren stretched his arms over his head, yawning. The heat was also making him really drowsy. He'd long since peeled his coat off, hanging it over his saddle bag. 

"I wouldn't mind a nap," Eren said through another yawn. 

"Says the guy who could probably sleep anywhere at anytime," Jean said with a chuckle, waving a notebook at his face. 

"Probably," Eren agreed. He didn't really know when he got the reputation for being mildly narcoleptic, likely during the war when he could sleep for days after a series of experiments. Or battles. 

"Careful, you're gonna topple off your horse."

"Shut up."

Thankfully, they did stop soon enough, the company taking a break to eat, water their horses, and replenish their strength. And explore a bit, if they feel so inclined. Which Eren did, if he could just shake the drowsiness. 

It may have been hot, but Eren found himself walking around anyways, stretching his legs from the long hours of riding. 

Mikasa walked with him, which was fine. It actually ended up that way a lot lately, whether he was intending it or not, and the amount of times he did were growing. She was easy to be with, and he quite liked her company, to the extent where he'd nearly forgotten being constantly annoyed with her in the past. 

"I hear water," Mikasa said, breaking their comfortable silence. 

Eren could hear it too, the gentle babbling of what sounded like a small stream or creek. "Yeah, I hear it too. It must be off somewhere to the east."

"Maybe it connects to the river we've been following."

Eren smiled, feeling like a little kid again. "Let's get a closer look."

"Eren, wait!" Mikasa called, but Eren was already running down the hill, the hot air blowing against his face. He was suddenly ten years old, running as fast and as hard as he could through the city streets, looking for the next thing to explore. 

The green blurred past him as he got to the river bank, or at least what  _ should  _ have been the bank. Instead, it was lined with a thick wall of thorn bushes. Thorn bushes he was now running at full speed.

"Ack-!" was all Eren could say as he shielded his face with him arms, running into them.

"Eren!" he heard Mikasa call from above.

It was almost like the thorn vines had grabbed him, pulling him into their teeth. If he even moved at all, a new thorn was stabbed into his skin. "Ow, shit! What the hell!" he shouted, yanking backwards, trying to escape from this snare he'd trapped himself in.

"Are you okay?" Mikasa asked, just outside the brambles.

"Ugh- no! I can't move! Dammit, what the hell are these?!"

He turned his head to see Mikasa reaching in, trying to lift the viney branches. He used his very thin shirt sleeve to move them as well, doing his best to cover his face as he made his way back to sunlight. It gave no protection to his skin, since the thorns just stuck to it anyway. With much combined effort, Eren was freed, staggering away from the beastly bushes.

"What the shit is that?" he ground out, frowning at steaming scratches on his hands and arms. 

Mikasa rubbed at the scratches on her own hands, wiping the droplets of blood away. "We've seen these around for the past few days of traveling in this area. You should be more careful."

Eren pouted, turning away. "Yeah, whatever."

The banks beside the stream were more or less inaccessible, the only way to get through the taller than them walls of briars was probably to cut a path with a sword. The slightly curved thorns were nearly two centimeters long, which was probably why they'd clung to his clothes and skin like they had. Eren had never see something like that inside the walls. 

"The hell is this?" he muttered, kicking at it with his boot disdainfully. 

Mikasa took a step closer, peering through the thick brush. "Looks like the stream is on the other side."

"Looks like."

She pulled out a notebook, jotting some descriptions of the area into it. 

"Don't forget to mention the berries," Eren said, side eyeing the pitch black fruits. They were probably poisonous, since it was obviously an evil plant. 

Mikasa nodded, not looking up from her notebook until she finished. "Why were you running anyway? It's hot," Mikasa asked when she finished writing.

Eren shrugged, glad that most of the scratches had healed by now (he tried not to glance at the red marks on Mikasa's hands that would definitely not heal as fast as his own had). "I dunno. I just felt like it… err, sorry you got scratched…"

She waved her hand. "It's fine."

Quiet settled over them for a few minutes, the only sound being stream running behind the brambles. After a while, Mikasa shrugged and walked back over to the thorns, pulling the berries off and plopping them into her mouth.

"M-Mikasa!" Eren shouted, jumping forward, covering her mouth so she wouldn't eat anymore. "They could be poisonous!"

Mikasa swatted his hand away, eating one more for good measure. "I highly doubt it."

Eren blinked. "How can you be so sure? You just ate them like an idiot!"

Mikasa frowned, the pointed at the light rustle of wings in the bushes. "The birds are eating them, for one. Also, Sasha ate about five kilos of them the other day. She's not poisoned, is she?"

Eren felt the blood rush to his face as he glared at her. "They could've been a different kind. You can't be so careless."

Rolling her eyes, Mikasa turned back to the bush, pulling a few more of the black berries of the vine. Then she held them out to him. Her palm was stained purple from the juices of the fruit, (at least, where it wasn't red and scratched.) "Just try them. They're pretty good."

He continued to glare, but grabbed the berries out of her hand anyway, then shoved them into his mouth. They were sweet, full of seeds, but really tasty. Glancing at her from the side, he frowned again. "The bush is still evil."

"Not gonna argue there," Mikasa returned with a smile. 

Eren couldn't help it; he smiled back, despite his annoyance at her. With a quick hand, he took more of the berries from her hand before she pulled them away.

"Pick your own," she said, nudging him away with her elbow.

"No way am I going near that thing again."

At that, Mikasa actually laughed, which made Eren smile even wider. And then continue to try to steal the berries from her. That is, until she shoved them in his face, staining his mouth purple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I'm quite fond of this for the thorn bushes alone, and I feel like I should explain. 
> 
> I'm from the Pacific Northwest in USA, so anyone familiar with that area will know about the blackberry bushes. They are not just berry bushes, they are demon dragon bushes. They can get to be like 10ft high and they just spread and spread like the freakin plague. The only way to get rid of them once they're mature is to chop/hack/chainsaw the shit out of them until you can get to the roots and pull those out with chains attached to pickup trucks. You may think I'm joking, but I'm not. I have given too much of my sweat and blood to the war on blackberry bushes, I'm dead serious. They are evil reincarnate.
> 
> But, ya know. Blackberry cobbler is pretty good, so *shrug*
> 
> Anyways, my rant about nature aside, I hope you liked this! Thanks for reading! And I am still open to prompt requests, so feel free to ask away!


	3. To Care For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a day of titan hardening experiments, Eren comes back to the orphanage to find Mikasa has the flu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated: K+
> 
> Setting: Canon; post-uprising arc
> 
> For shingekinokelli and your request for a sick fic! I hope you, and anyone else reading, likes this! Also, sorry it took forever. I'm in the process of moving, so...

Eren returned to the orphanage complex not long before sunset. It was a nice comfort, honestly, to be there, helping in a tangible, peaceful way. He wished he could be there more often, but his work was important. And only he could do it.

He kicked a stone, not really wanting to think about all that; 'all that' being the crushing weight of the fate of humanity on his shoulders.  _ There I go thinking about it again _ , he thought in agitation. 

He rubbed at his face, the dried blood in his nose making his whole face itch. Thankfully he didn't feel lightheaded anymore, but it was enough to be distracting. He'd rather just walk quietly around the complex in the warm, evening light. But whatever, face itching works too. 

Or Sasha running up to him, waving her arms emphatically could prove to be another distraction.

"Eren!" she shouted as she ran towards him from across the field, Connie not far behind her. "Eren, you're back!"

Eren stopped, letting them come up to him, breathless from their random sprint. 

"Yeah? Why…" Eren asked, wary. 

"It's Mikasa!" Sasha said, her voice nearly panicked. 

Eren felt his stomach drop, dread rising in throat. "Wh- what?! What happened to Mikasa?"

"She's gonna kill us, I swear. She's freakin' insane!" Connie moaned after Sasha. 

Eren blinked, then snorted. "What the hell did you do to her?"

"We didn't do anything!" Sasha cried. 

"Just suggested she take a few million naps…" Connie added. 

"And maybe a hot bath..."

"She really has no reason to be mad at us. We were just trying to help!"

Eren looked back and forth between them, growing more and more confused. "Okay… So what do you want me to do?"

Sasha took a breath. "Okay. So today Mikasa had been completely sick. Like fever, flu-"

"Freakin' plague, more like…" Connie cut in. 

"Huh?!" Eren exclaimed, before Sasha cut in once more.

"She doesn't have the plague, it's just the flu. The medic just said she needed to rest after he gave her the medicine. Which she didn't do... seriously, she's just been doing stuff  _ all day _ and she won't even sit down! But since you're here now, you can get her to go to bed early!"

Eren stared at her, feeling slightly frazzled by the whiplashing information. "You- what makes you think she'd listen to me?"

Connie snorted and Sasha smiled like she was trying to hide a laugh. "You're Eren, so…"

Eren frowned. "You know, I have no idea what that's about, but I'll go talk to her."

"Oh good, 'cause we have other things to do that be given a continuous death glare…"

"Thanks, Eren!" 

Then the two were gone, leaving Eren blinking in their dust. But he couldn't help but feel a bit more uplifted, seeing those two get their spirit back. Being at the orphanage, having time to breathe and help out there, it had been easing anxieties and depression all around. Even though there was so much still to deal with, even though Connie still cried in the middle of the night for his mother and for their lost friends, he seemed to be better. 

With a sigh, he released the touch of envy he felt and walked towards the compound to find Mikasa. 

As he walked, a gaggle of kids ran up to him. There were four of them, and Eren was quite familiar with them specifically. For some reason, they'd taken an intense interest in him. He didn't mind. It was pretty amusing, actually.

"Hey, Eren!" one of them called out to him. 

"Hi Marcel," Eren replied, readying himself for an array of questioning. 

"You look worse today," the kid stated. 

"Did you get punched again?" Lucas asked, eyeing the dark rings that were likely lining Eren's eyes. 

"No, no, this time I ran into a door," Eren lied nonchalantly. 

The kids laughed. "You're such a clutz!" Marianne exclaimed through a laugh. 

"Yeah, that's true. Hey, you guys, I'm looking for my friend, Mikasa. Have you seen her around today?"

"Mikasa, the scary lady?"

Eren snorted. "Yeah, Robin. You know where she is?"

"Yeah, yeah, but we'll only tell you if you give us something in return," Marcel said seriously, and Eren blinked. 

"Huh? What do you want?"

Marcel frowned, looking around like he didn't want anyone to hear him, then gestured for Eren to come closer. Confused, he crouched down. 

"We want an in in the kitchens," Lucas said, his voice deadpan. "You'll get us the good stuff whenever we want it."

Eren resisted the very real temptation to laugh. "I'm not sure you're offering enough for that trade. However…"

Eren pulled his lunch of bread, cheese, and some dried fruit out of his satchel, (he should have eaten it, but even the thought had made him nauseous at the time). "If I give you this, will you tell me where she is?"

They looked amongst themselves for a moment before Lucas snatched it out of Eren's hand. "Deal. She's on the west side, near the barn."

"Thanks, you guys," Eren muttered, moving off to walk across the field. 

It didn't take long to find her in the place the kids had said. She was, currently, building a shed. On her own. He could hear the pounding of a hammer as he walked up to her. 

"Hey, Mikasa," he said, walking up to her. 

She turned and her eyes lit up, however the rest of her did not. She looked pale, pallor, her face flushed with fever. "Eren, hi," she said, her words had the slightest bit of a slur to them. 

"What're you doing?" he asked, gesturing at the built up frame. 

Mikasa sniffed, looking back at it, and the way she swayed, he had to guess she was dizzy. "Making a shed. Historia said there needed to be a… thing to put… tools in."

She spoke her words slowly, as if she was aware of the heaviness in her voice, or she was just plain spacing on the words. 

Eren shook his head. "I meant why're you doing it? You look like complete shit."

Mikasa frowned. "So do you," she muttered in a monotone pout. 

Eren didn't reply since it was probably true. But there was a reason for him. It was just irresponsible the way she was disregarding her own health like this. He strode forward, pressing (definitely not smacking) his hand to her forehead. 

"You have a fever. Got to bed," he said flatly. 

He'd expected protest, but he didn't expect giddy laughter to come out of her. It was actually verging on downright terrifying. 

"Y- _ you _ go to bed," she got out between chortles.

"Okay… what the hell did that medic give you?" Eren asked after a moment. 

Mikasa shrugged, picking up the hammer again. "Stuff I guess. Anyways, I gotta finish this so see you later, Eren."

"No, no, I'm not going anywhere. Quit being an idiot and go to bed."

Now Eren was on the receiving end of that glare Connie and Sasha had mentioned. "Go away." Then she turned, wielding her hammer like a sword.

Eren sighed, feeling that fatigue bare down on him once more. He hardly had the energy to fight her on this, and now he had to deal with her so hopped up on flu medicine that she was basically drunk?  _ Thanks a lot, guys _ , he thought tiredly at Sasha and Connie. So instead of fighting, he sat down on the ground, rubbing a hand over his drooping eyes.

Mikasa stopped to cast a glance at him, then she was suddenly kneeling in front of him, her face a lot closer to his than usual. "Eren?"

He blinked, stifling a yawn. "What?"

"You're tired."

"Yup…"

"Then you should go to bed," Mikasa stated, her voice flat.

He felt his shoulders bow in, slouching down. True to form, Mikasa worked to maintain his well-being while ignoring her own, (although she'd been doing a lot less of that lately), but still. "I will when you do."

Mikasa looked back at the shed, then frowned at the hammer in her hand. "It's still early."

Eren sighed. "Yeah, but you're sick. You should've been in bed hours ago."

She sat down in the dirt beside him, her head drooping down, obscuring her face. "I didn't want to…"

"Didn't want to?"

She shook her head, gesturing out to the compound. "This all… it's good. It's a really good thing Historia's done."

Eren nodded, although that didn't seem to require much of a response.

Mikasa's face fell, far more open than her usual stoic mask. She let out a sigh. "'And I can't just sit and do nothing. Not with all this, not with you going out and… doing all that titan shit that just messes you up so bad. Eren-"

When she said his name, she turned to him, and he could see a subtle fear in her features, wide eyed as she slurred through her words. "Eren, you don't- just can't do everything... 'cause then there's gonna be nothing, and I can't let that, no, none… it happen to you."

With that, her head slumped against his shoulder, and he placed a hand on her back to steady her. "I gotta be useful, Ere- I need to… I can't waste away like all this…"

"Hey, c'mon, you're not wasting away, Mikasa. You're just fine," he said to her, choosing to disregard the rest of what she was trying to say. 

He knew all that. He knew the experiments were taking a toll. He could feel himself, as Mikasa said, 'wasting away'. And on top of that, with all the recent revelations about Historia's and family, as well as his own father… He wasn't able to get as much food in as he needed, or even that to stay down. It was better now that he'd had some time to think (or not think on it), at least get acclimated to the knowledge and how to deal with this new found exhaustion of energy. It was best to keep moving, keep doing.

"You can't be doing all of everything every moment of the day. You need rest," he said hypocritically. 

Mikasa grunted, and he could feel how warm her head was through his uniform. "What'd they give me…?" she asked in a forlorn moan, her hand pressed to her forehead.

"I dunno, but it's got you pretty drunk, huh? Maybe they snuck you some painkillers for your ribs, since you refused to take them before."

"I can't think straight," she muttered.

He pulled away, then crouched in front of her, back to her. "C'mon, I'll carry you."

She didn't say a word, just reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck as he pulled her up onto his back. It probably wasn't the best idea to carry her around like this, since he had hardly eaten anything, he was completely exhausted, and she was sick, breathing onto his neck. Although, Eren wasn't sure if he could actually get sick anymore, so he put that one aside. 

A cold feeling settled within him at the feeling of her warmth against his back, arms around him like this. It made him think of that day, her wincing and gasping as he ran with all his might to the nearest horse. Anything to get her and himself away from the titans that were not even interested in them (because of that strange new power he couldn't seem to activate a second time). They had been so close to dying that day. Mikasa had been ready to give up. Hell, even he was ready to give up, but her words struck the right note in his mind, in his heart. They couldn't die yet. There was too much undone, unsaid. 

He carried her to one of the empty rooms their squad was using as they set up the orphanage. Mikasa was slouched against his back, and he pulled on her legs, sliding her up further so she didn't just tumble off as he opened the door. 

He brought her to one of the empty beds and let her slide off his back onto it. She sat upright, droopy eyed and swaying, but still she watched him as he dug through his bag. 

"Here," he handed her his waterskin. "Drink."

She nodded, and did so. When she was finished, he set to pulling her boots off, then her jacket. His hands hesitated at the scarf, his fingers lingering against the material. It was just a thing, a scrap of fabric. It shouldn't hold as much meaning as it did, more than he'd realized before. He tentatively undid the knot, unwrapping it from around her, and gently hung it on the bedpost. Then he set to removing the straps of the gear. 

"Hey Eren?" Mikasa asked as he knelt in front of her. 

"Hmm?"

"You eaten today?"

His fingers paused. Sure, he'd eaten half his breakfast that morning, a couple of the fruits from his lunch. So yeah, he had… He continued to undo the buckles on her leg. "Yeah."

"How much?"

_ Damn _ . "Enough."

"Eren…"

He just shrugged, then stood and grasped her arms to help her stand to remove the rest of the belts. "I'll go eat dinner after you're settled. Happy?"

"You not eating, Eren… it's…" she trailed off, losing her words with a tired, frustrated sigh. 

Eren frowned. Of course she'd noticed. She noticed everything when it came to him and his habits. Her words from that day resounded in his mind once more, and any annoyance he might've felt seemed to fizzle away, leaving only a heaviness in his chest. With a huff, pulled the rest of the gear off of her and hung it on the bedpost beside her scarf. "I eat. It's fine, Mikasa. Now lay down."

Mikasa sent him her own frown, not moving. Eren sighed, then grasped her shoulders to pull her down to sit as he knelt in front of her. He kept a hold of her shoulders, squeezing lightly.

"Look. This shit's not easy to handle. You can imagine, you know… all that. I'm…" he trailed off, looking down as he bit his lip. "I'm doing my best. I'm gonna keep going, so don't worry about me, alright?"

Mikasa's glare softened, and she looked down, sadness in her eyes.

Eren's quirked up slightly, in a very weak smile that held not a touch of happiness. "Take care of yourself. If you work yourself to death, I'll kill you. Got it?"

Mikasa nodded, still frowning sadly. Then without a word, she leaned forward, her arms wrapping around him. 

"Ah-! Uh…" Eren got out, caught off guard as she hugged his head to her chest. 

She didn't say anything, just squeezed him tightly. Mikasa wasn't usually inclined to hug him, and if she did give him any sort of physical comfort, she'd typically take his hand. She'd  overstepped some sort of line they'd at some point drawn between them, probably due to the medicine she'd been given. Her judgement was fuzzy. 

But even so, Eren felt warm in her arms, (probably due to her fevered skin.) He felt calmer, lighter. This burden of truth and hope that he bore didn't feel so heavy for the moment, and he found himself wrapping his own arms around her, wanting to keep feeling this comfort. She brushed her fingers through his hair, and he was just enveloped by how good all of it felt. It was strange, but wonderful, and much better than the constant nausea he felt, or the sucking hole inside him that drained him of all his energy or any sort of joy. It had Eren wondering why they didn't do this more often.

All too soon, Mikasa let him go, settling back to lay down in her bed, the fatigue apparent on her face. Eren felt colder without her arms around him, that sinking chill spreading across his chest again. With a frown, he pulled up her blankets, tucking them in around her chin.

"I'll be back later to check on you, so you better be asleep when I come back," Eren muttered.

Mikasa's eyes were already drooping, so he didn't think that would be a problem. "Eren…?"

Eren folded his arms. "What is it?"

She smiled the tiniest of smiles. "Thanks."

"Anytime," he murmured quietly as he turned towards the door, feeling a little lighter than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	4. A Bit Longer, Please

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Historia's coronation, Eren, Mikasa, and the squad join in the dancing celebration of the civilians.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated: Gen
> 
> Prompt: Slow Dancing
> 
> Setting: Canon; post-uprising arc
> 
> A/N: This one was inspired by a beautiful art one of my fav artist did http://lolakasa.tumblr.com/post/141456374600/who-remembers-suggesting-me-to-draw-them-dancing  
> ....this ended up being sadder than the art, so that's fun...

After the coronation of queen, the town square was festive, bustling with civilians and military personnel alike. It was after dark already, but excitement and music was in the air as the people danced in the firelight. 

Eren watched with tired eyes as he sat on the steps leading uptown, looking down over the courtyard. It was hard to feel uplifted though, despite the happiness and rejoicing going on around him. These people… they didn't know what had been done to save them. They didn't know who had stained their hands with blood to ensure their security. They didn't know how that beast had appeared. They didn't know what their queen would have become had she made a different choice. 

His shoulders slumped as he tried to push away those thoughts. The rest of his squad had been with him, as subdued as he was, probably all of them just ready to turn in for the night. That is, until Sasha had stood up, a wide smile on her face, although her eyes were wide with anything but. 

"Let's dance, you guys," she'd said to them. 

"Stop talking nonsense, will ya?" Connie replied, and Sasha shook her head. 

"No, let's just dance tonight, okay? Cry, scream, sleep later. We won, and that doesn't happen as often as we wish and fight for it. So let's dance in our victory, with these people we saved."

They all stared up at her blankly, but most likely, each of them would be lying if they said her little speech hadn't moved them at least the tiniest bit. 

With a sigh, Mikasa had stood and walked over to Sasha. 

"Let's dance," she said softly and Sasha had beamed. 

So now, each of them were dancing out with the civilians. Connie was clinging to Sasha's hand, tears streaming down his face as she led him through the weaving dancers. Mikasa and Armin were with Jean, somehow caught up in a ring of children. Despite everything, he could see smiles on their faces, even the tiniest of smiles gracing Mikasa's mouth. 

Eren had refrained. He couldn't stop thinking about how he  _ hadn't  _ saved these people. He hadn't done anything but get kidnapped again… And he'd only cried through that instead of actually doing anything useful. His team, his friends, they'd killed numerous people, sacrificed that part of themselves he'd lost long ago to save him. Always, he needed saving. Maybe it would've been better if Historia  _ had  _ eaten him. Then at least this power could go to someone who could actually be useful with it. 

He knew why that couldn't be, but still, it was hard not to think about.

The music was slower now, and the hectic movements calmed into easy dancing, swaying to and fro. It had almost become lethargic. He was so caught up in it that it took him a few moments to realize Mikasa was standing over him. 

"Mikasa?" 

She didn't say anything, just held out her hand. Eren stared at her, then away. "Look, I just-"

Mikasa bent down and gripped both of his hands in hers, startling him into silence. 

"We're all hurting, Eren," she murmured quietly, her eyes boring into his. "Please dance."

Eren blinked, then relented. "Alright."

Without letting go of his hand, she led him into the courtyard, making their way through the bodies of people moving to the music until she stopped, pulling him lightly to stand in front of her. When they stopped, it dawned on Eren that he really had no idea how to dance. 

"Mikasa, I don't-"

She shook her head, clasping the fingers of her hands with both of his, holding him before her as she swayed. It was simple. Easy. 

They fell into rhythm without another word, barely moving their feet as they looked each other in the eye. There was something calming there, in the touch of her hands, in the light of her eyes. A softness he rarely saw. That smile was back, but so was the shining layer of moisture threatening to overflow. Just like when they'd thought they were going to die in those fields, the words they'd said, but then they hadn't died, and everything just continued to get worse. 

Eren breathed out a long breath, releasing one of her hands to wrap around her back, similar to how the other dancing couples were. Her eyes widened for a moment, then she settled, placing her hand on the back of his shoulder. 

They didn't say a word. Not a single one. But even so, Eren had never really felt closer to her. It was comfortable. It was relieving to dance to the melody that drifted gently through the air. He didn't need her to speak to know what she was trying to say, nor he to her. They didn't always have that, much of the time arguing or tense about one misunderstanding or another. This moment was different. In this moment as they danced, watching each other intently, he knew her wholly and completely, and she him. It was a strange feeling, and the thoughts of it seemed to conceal his worries for the time being. 

Mikasa opened her mouth to say something, and Eren internally begged her not to.  _ Don't bring us back to reality yet _ , he pleaded.  _ Don't take us from this moment. _

Instead of speaking, she closed her eyes, bowing her head until it rested against his shoulder, her hair brushing his face. He continued to sway them to and fro, Mikasa following where he moved his feet. He didn't really know what he was doing, but he knew that whatever the proper way was like, he wasn't doing it. But that didn't matter. 

All too soon, the music changed, picking up into the quicker-paced, high energy celebration once more. Eren was reluctant to release her, and she seemed just as reluctant to pull away from him. For a few moments, the excited dancers wound around them as they stood stationary, and though Eren knew it couldn't last forever, he almost believed it could if they continued to hold onto each other while the rest moved around them.

Then a careless shoulder bumped into him, and the spell was broken. His heart ached as the world turned back to it's normal, bitter clarity, the hazy magic woven around them fading. Mikasa moved back, looking up at him, her stormy eyes illuminated by the shining torchlight. There were questions there, questions he didn't know the answers to because he couldn't guess what the questions were. 

He should say something, he knew, but he couldn't think of a word. 

Slowly, she squeezed his hand gently, then untangled herself from him as she glanced around the courtyard. "I think I'm ready to return to the base," she said softly, and Eren could see as the stress and fatigue settled over her once more. Hell, he probably looked about the same.

He wasn't ready to return.

"Do you want to take a walk, actually? It's not too late yet," he said quietly, and it was nice to watch the pleasantly surprised look cross her face.

"Okay," she replied softly.

He grasped her hand tighter, leading her out of the bustle of festivities, into the peaceful darkness of the city streets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it! Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
